More than 1,000 people in Gaza have now been killed by Israel since it agreed an ostensible ceasefire with Hamas last October, the health ministry said, as the latest strike on Thursday killed three people travelling in a vehicle in Gaza City. The Israeli military did not immediately comment. Israeli troops still occupy at least 60 percent of the Palestinian enclave’s territory in areas where they have ordered residents to leave their homes and destroyed buildings. Almost the entire population of two million people now lives in makeshift tents and damaged buildings in a thin strip of coastal land still controlled by Hamas.

More from The New Arab here.

Episode 3 of The Proximities Podcast, a conversation with Ethiopian journalist Zecharias Zelalem, is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Episode 2, on Iran, is on Apple Podcasts here, Spotify here and YouTube here.

Episode 1, on Sudan, is on Apple Podcasts here, Spotify here and YouTube here.

Coming this week: Taiwan.

Please subscribe, like, comment, review or rate depending on your platform of choice!

It really helps.

Colombia

Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels are ready to agree peace with whoever wins a presidential runoff on Sunday, an ELN commander told Reuters in an exclusive interview at a base deep in the country’s northwest jungles. The leader, though, said he was confident the group could survive a renewed military offensive promised by the right-wing candidate, who is currently the frontrunner. Colombians are voting for a successor to President Gustavo Petro who has tried to sign peace deals with various armed groups. Leftist candidate Iván Cepeda has promised to continue that strategy but is currently trailing in the polls to conservative lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, who has pledged a crackdown.

More from Reuters here.

Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump has said “nobody” deliberately attacked an Iranian girls’ school where about 175 people, most of them schoolchildren, were killed on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Trump, who initially blamed Iran for the bombing of the Minab school without providing evidence, said an investigation was underway. The U.S. military is widely believed to be behind the attack, with several reports indicating it may have acted on outdated intelligence. When asked by a journalist at the G7 summit in France if anyone would be held accountable, Trump said: "It's such a strange question to be asked at this date, because you're talking about a long time ago. Mistakes are made, war's nasty.”

More from Sky News here.

NB: In the aftermath of the Minab bombing, I wrote the below piece.

A series of extraordinary posts on X by Uganda’s military chief in which he published photographs of a detained and blindfolded opposition figure, vowing to inflict “hurt and pain” on him, has sparked outrage in Uganda. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is the son of longtime President Yoweri Museveni, sent a series of tweets in which he goaded critics with statements such as “this fool will not sleep tonight” and “he keeps saying 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry'. It won't help him now.” Erias Lukwago, a lawyer and former mayor of the capital Kampala, was taken from his house by soldiers after he sought to take legal action against Kainerugaba over threats against another opposition leader, Kizza Besigye.

More from AP here.

Episode 3 of The Proximities Podcast, a conversation with Ethiopian journalist Zecharias Zelalem, is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Episode 2, on Iran, is on Apple Podcasts here, Spotify here and YouTube here.

Episode 1, on Sudan, is on Apple Podcasts here, Spotify here and YouTube here.

Peru

Right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori has extended a paper-thin lead over her leftist rival Roberto Sanchez with thousands of contested ballots now being recounted. With 98.59 percent of votes tallied, according to the National ​Office of Electoral Processes, Fujimori sits at 50.051 percent, with just over 18,300 votes separating her from Sanchez's ​49.949 percent. Peruvians are hoping the election can draw a line under years of political chaos that has seen presidents arrested, deposed and impeached, leading to a staggering eight leaders in just 10 years.

More from Internazionale here.

Iran

Two men have been executed in Iran for their involvement in January’s anti-government protests, the judiciary said, accusing them of being "armed leaders of early 2026 ​unrest" in the county of Shahrud. According to a Reuters report, the men, named as Javad Zamani and Abolfazl ‌Saedi, were convicted of Moharebeh (waging war ​against ​God), ⁠corruption on earth, damaging ​public ​and ⁠private property and crimes against ⁠national ​security.

More from Reuters here.

The economy of the occupied West Bank is on the brink of collapse, according to new research, which warns the dire financial straits are also fuelling instability. A report from the International Crisis Group said myriad Israeli constraints on life in the Palestinian territory, including restrictions on movement, the withholding of revenue and the illegal settlement of land, are leaving Palestinians without any opportunities. “The economic conditions necessary for any Palestinian future other than permanent subjugation are being dismantled,” the report said, adding the policies were aimed at advancing “Israel’s own declared goal of extending its control and preventing a Palestinian state from emerging.”

More from AP here.

Episode 3 of The Proximities Podcast, a conversation with Ethiopian journalist Zecharias Zelalem, is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Episode 2, on Iran, is on Apple Podcasts here, Spotify here and YouTube here.

Episode 1, on Sudan, is on Apple Podcasts here, Spotify here and YouTube here.

DRC

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have recorded the biggest single-day jump in confirmed Ebola cases since an outbreak was formally declared last month. Some 72 new cases were ​documented in 24 hours, government data showed, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 782. There have now been 181 deaths, according to the government’s latest situation report. Regional instability, populations suspicious of outsiders due to conflict, and the lack of an approved vaccine for the rarer Bundibugyo strain of the virus have so far hampered efforts to fully contain the outbreak.

More from Reuters here.

Taiwan

Taiwan’s intelligence service has opened a website that invites Chinese nationals to share tips and private information on their government at a time of heightened tension between Beijing and Taipei. Taiwan’s spy agency, the National Security Bureau, said it was launching the initiative in line with similar schemes in Western countries, mentioning the U.S., the UK and Israel. Its aim, it said, was to “expand the collection of intelligence on China’s political, military, economic and social developments.” Beijing, which views self-ruled Taiwan as a rogue part of its territory, has adopted an increasingly bellicose stance towards the island, repeatedly refusing to rule out the use of military action to capture it.

More from the Independent here.

Episode three of The Proximities Podcast is now live.

This week, I spoke to Zecharias Zelalem, one of Ethiopia's best young journalists, about the fractious nature of the country's politics.

We discussed an election that is expected to return Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to power, the Horn of Africa’s geopolitical importance, and Abiy's journey from a Nobel Peace Prize-winning hero to a leader accused of authoritarianism.

It’s on Spotify here, Apple Podcasts here and YouTube here.

Please like, subscribe, comment and rate!

And I hope you find it useful.

Bests,

Barry.

A rare courtroom glimpse of prominent Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safiya, who was abducted from northern Gaza’s last functioning hospital by the Israeli army 17 months ago, has renewed calls for his release. Abu Safiya has since been held without any formal charges and has been kept in what his lawyers have said are extremely harsh conditions, often going without medical treatment and sufficient food. Appearing via video link in front of Israel’s Supreme Court, the 53-year-old was gaunt and pale and had what looked like lash marks or skin disease on his arms. After the court appearance, Abu Safiya’s lawyer, Nasser Odeh, said he had a message from the doctor to impart: “I am a pediatrician who provides medical care to patients, the wounded, and the most vulnerable in the Strip. I carried out my work in accordance with international law and humanitarian standards. My detention is unjust and arbitrary.”

More from AP here.

Episode 2 of The Proximities Podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

Coming this week: Ethiopia.

DR Congo

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has spread into a new area, authorities said, indicating sustained transmission three weeks after the outbreak was declared. It brings the number of affected “health zones” to 26 nationwide and ​18 in the conflict-ridden Ituri province, which accounts for more than ​94 percent of confirmed cases. A health zone in DRC covers an area with a network of clinics and a referral ​hospital. There have been 635 confirmed cases and 127 deaths, as well as hundreds of suspected cases and deaths. The outbreak is of the rarer Bundibugyo strain, which has no approved vaccine.

More from Reuters here.

Proximities has published a deep dive on the Ebola outbreak here.

Mali

Two Malian journalists have been arrested in the latest incident in a crackdown on the media as the country’s military rulers grapple with an escalating insurgency. Chahana Takiou and Abdramane Keïta were detained on similar charges focused on undermining the “credibility of the State.” Takiou, director of the “22 Septembre” newspaper, had said he regretted that another journalist was being tried under a cybercrime law, while Keïta had reported the fact that the town of Kidal was now under the control of the Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin armed group. “The authorities should immediately release Takiou and Keïta and drop charges stemming from their exercise of the right to freedom of expression,” Ilaria Allegrozzi, of Human Rights Watch, said.

More from Human Rights Watch here.

Proximities has published a deep dive on the conflict in the Sahel here.

Victims of alleged atrocities perpetrated by a paramilitary group in Sudan have asked prosecutors in Kenya to investigate allegations of torture and sexual violence. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, which has ties to Kenya’s government, has been accused by several rights groups of carrying out war crimes and acts of genocide across the country. The complaint filed by global legal organization Legal Action Worldwide details incidents it says took place in and around the capital Khartoum between April 2023 and March 2025 when it was under RSF control. Sudan erupted into war three years ago when the RSF and the country’s military-led government, once allies, fell out after a power struggle.

More from Africa News here.

Episode 2 of The Proximities Podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

Coming this week: Ethiopia.

Indonesia

Four army officers have been sentenced to prison terms of up to three years for their involvement in an acid attack on an activist who had criticised the influence of the military. Andrie Yunus, a deputy coordinator ​with the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, a rights group also known as ​KontraS, suffered burns ​on 20 percent of his body and his right ​eye was severely damaged. The four soldiers were all members of Indonesia's military intelligence unit, but the judge said the attack was not influenced by any "chain of command." Rights group Amnesty International Indonesia said the verdict brought no justice to Yunus and failed to consider others in the military who were involved.

More from Reuters here.

Afghanistan

At least 13 people were killed in a Pakistani air strike on Afghanistan, Kabul’s Taliban government said, in the latest incident between the neighbours after months of skirmishes in which hundreds of people have been killed. Afghanistan did not immediately respond but it has previously carried out attacks on Pakistani border posts after similar attacks. There was no immediate acknowledgment of the strikes from Islamabad. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harbouring Pakistani rebel groups that launch cross-border attacks, which Kabul denies.

More from AP here.

Police in Afghanistan opened fire on a crowd protesting the arrest and detention of more than a dozen women over dress code violations, eyewitnesses said. Onlookers told AP that about 100 to 150 people took part in the demonstration in the western city of Herat, and that at least three people were wounded by the gunfire. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban government has imposed harsh restrictions on women’s clothing, employment, education and freedom to travel. A human rights monitor told AP that at least 16 women had been arrested and held in Herat since Friday over alleged violations of dress codes.

More from AP here.

Episode 2 of The Proximities Podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

Peru

With Peru’s presidential election on a knife-edge, the head of the country’s election authority has told AFP that the result might not be known for two weeks despite 96 percent of votes already being counted. Official figures show leftist Roberto Sanchez with a lead of about 20,000 votes over the conservative Keiko Fujimori. Spiralling crime rates and widespread corruption were reported to be the biggest concerns for voters. Many Peruvians are hoping the election can draw a line under years of political chaos that has seen presidents arrested, deposed and impeached, leading to a staggering eight presidents in just 10 years.

More from AFP via France 24 here.

Kenya

A demonstrator has been shot dead by police in Kenya as protests continue over a plan to build an Ebola quarantine facility for U.S. citizens. Two Reuters reporters saw a body lying motionless with a large wound to the head. The incident comes after two protesters were shot dead last week near the proposed center at Laikipia Air Base in the town of Nanyuki. The facility is intended for Americans who may be exposed to the virus by an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Kenya has reported no cases. Protesters say it is an unnecessary risk to public health, but President William Ruto has vowed to press ahead.

More from Reuters here.

The Nigerian army says it has freed 360 people kidnapped by the Boko Haram armed group in the northeast. The rescue, the military said, was carried out in the Mandara Mountains, which is a stronghold of the militia. Nigeria faces several intersecting security crises, particularly in the north, including organized criminals abducting large groups of people, often schoolchildren, and holding them for ransom. Despite local fury and pervasive fear, analysts say the government of President Bola Tinubu has failed to adequately combat the groups.

More from Africa News here.

Delighted to say that after just two episodes, The Proximities Podcast has entered the Top 50 for news and politics in the UK, at one point charting as high as 16, beating out podcasts from the BBC, Politico, LBC, the Telegraph and more!

This is all down to you guys — thank you very, very much for listening.

If you haven’t already listened and, crucially, liked, subscribed, commented and rated (depending on your platform), I would be so grateful if you could. We need independent media like never before and more people need to hear from incredible journalists like Hiba Morgan and Negar Mortazavi.

The latest episode is on Apple Podcasts here, Spotify here and YouTube here.

Gaza

At least four Palestinians, one a child, were killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza today, according to health officials. Medics said two people were killed in an attack near a tent encampment and two others, including an 8-year-old boy, were killed in a separate strike that landed near a group of people digging a well. Residents also told Reuters that the Israeli military had begun expanding the area under its control after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the army to extend the territory it occupies in the Palestinian enclave to 70 percent. At least 950 people have been killed by Israel in Gaza since an ostensible ceasefire was agreed last October. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed in the same period.

More from Reuters here.

North Korea

Chinese leader Xi Jinping said he “feels a special sense of closeness” with North Korea on a rare visit to the North’s capital Pyongyang. The visit is being closely watched as Beijing tries to cement its influence over its nuclear-armed neighbor, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seeing recent success with building closer ties with Russia while overseeing a growing economy. China’s state broadcaster said Xi had expressed his desire to strengthen ties in areas including trade, security and technology. Xi has come under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. But Kim’s powerful sister Kim Yo Jong yesterday called that an “anachronistic dream.”

More from AP here.

I’m pleased to say that episode two of the Proximities podcast is now available.

In this episode, I speak to Negar Mortazavi, one of the best Iranian journalists and analysts I know. She helped me dig deeper into Iran and the current war, going far beyond the often simplistic headlines we see in some media outlets.

Negar offered some genuinely fascinating context, and I learned a lot.

I hope you will, too.

It’s on Spotify here, Apple Podcasts here, and YouTube here.

Bests,

Barry.

Nigerians have taken to the streets of the capital Abuja to demand that the government do more to rescue pupils and teachers who were kidnapped from three schools in the southwestern Oyo state. At least 37 children are reported to have been snatched in the attacks. Armed gangs, known locally as bandits, have terrorized northern Nigeria for years, regularly kidnapping large groups of people for ransom, but this is the first large-scale school abduction in the southwest. More than 1,500 students and staff have been abducted over the last decade, prompting fury from local communities and promises from the government to get the situation under control. Nigeria, particularly in the north, is dealing with several intersecting security issues in addition to the criminal gangs, including persistent insurgencies from al-Qaeda and ISIS-linked groups.

More from Africa News here.

NB: Proximities has published a deep dive on insecurity in Nigeria here.

Proximities now has a podcast. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.

Libya

Demonstrators in Libya’s capital Tripoli have blocked off the headquarters of the U.N. refugee agency to protest the presence of people who have traveled to the country looking for work or seeking passage to Europe. Crowds gathered in front of UNHCR's offices, chanting slogans such as "No, No to settlement, Libya only for Libyans" and "Get out of Libya.” They set up tents and brought a truck full of sand to close the main ​gate of the building. Since the 2011 war that toppled longtime Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has become the main transit point for Africans fleeing war and poverty and trying to reach Europe.

More from Reuters here.

North Korea

Beijing has announced that Chinese leader Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea next week in his first visit to Pyongyang since 2019. China has recently embarked on an effort to shore up ties with its nuclear-armed neighbor, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sought to move closer to both China and Russia as relations with South Korea and the U.S. soured after a brief thaw during the first administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Kim has also sent troops and conventional weapons to Moscow to support its war in Ukraine. The trip comes just weeks after Xi hosted Trump for a summit in Beijing, during which the U.S. leader is reported to have pushed for Pyongyang’s denuclearization.

More from AP here.

Local people have attacked an Ebola burial team in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to the health ministry, underlining the complex communication challenges involved in halting the spread of the virus. Residents took a coffin from the specialist team to bury it themselves – the bodies of Ebola victims remain highly infectious after death. It comes a day after the U.N.’s World Health Organization said authorities were "catching up" with the outbreak, which is believed to have been underway for weeks before it was detected. There have so far been 62 confirmed Ebola deaths in DRC along with 220 suspected ⁠deaths, and a handful of cases have been confirmed in neighboring Uganda.

More from Reuters here.

NB: Proximities has published a deep dive on the Ebola outbreak here.

If you haven’t already listened to or watched the new Proximities podcast, well, why not? It’s available on Spotify here, Apple Podcasts here, and YouTube here.

Egypt

Prominent Egyptian activist and poet Ahmed Douma has been sentenced to one year in prison, with labor, on charges of “spreading fake news,” state media reported. The sentencing comes just three years after Douma was released by a presidential pardon after almost 10 years behind bars on charges related to his participation in the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime President Hosni Mubarak. Rights groups say that Egypt regularly weaponizes the charge of spreading fake news against journalists, dissidents and academics.

More from Al Jazeera here.

Gaza

At least nine Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli air raids on Gaza, a local hospital said, despite an ostensible ceasefire agreed last October. The nine were killed in at least four separate air strikes, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the bodies, including two women and two children. AP reported that one of the attacks blew a massive hole in the upper floor of what appeared to be a residential apartment building and that blood-stained belongings were scattered across the street. At least 936 people have been killed by Israel in Gaza since the ceasefire was signed. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed in the same period.

More from AP here.

Two people have been shot dead during protests in Kenya against a U.S. plan to set up an Ebola isolation center for Americans at a military base, according to sources who spoke to Reuters and the BBC. A police spokesperson told Reuters he was not aware of the deaths. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is currently dealing with a major Ebola outbreak, which has spread to neighboring Uganda on a much smaller scale. Kenya, though, has reported no cases and the facility is intended to treat Americans who may get infected in DRC or Uganda, prompting fury from Kenyans who believe it is a risk to public health. President William Ruto today defended the plan as "neither unique nor exceptional but part of a broader national preparedness system," claiming that it "will be there to serve the people of Kenya and to serve our friends, including the Americans.”

More from BBC here.

Proximities now has a podcast! Cut very much from the cloth of the newsletter, I will be talking to the journalists who doggedly cover the news stories that deserve more attention from the international media. Honoured to say that the first episode features Hiba Morgan, the Al Jazeera English correspondent in Sudan.

You can listen on Apple Podcasts here, on Spotify here, or watch on YouTube here.

And, please, do me a favor and like and subscribe to gratify the sacred algorithm.

Here’s a short clip.

Gaza

With Gaza now out of the top headlines, Israel has pressed ahead with attacks on the Palestinian enclave despite an ostensible ceasefire. Three people were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire today, officials in Gaza said – Israeli authorities did not immediately comment. The Israeli army has killed at least ​930 people in Gaza, including many children, since it agreed a truce with Hamas in October. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed in the same period. The ceasefire arrangement left Israel occupying ⁠more than half of Gaza, with Hamas in charge of a sliver of coastal territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week ordered Israeli forces to increase their control to 70 percent.

More from Reuters here.

Japan

Four people were wounded in a bear attack in Japan as the country grapples with the animals increasingly encroaching into human territory in recent years. A record 13 people were killed in more than 230 attacks by bears last year, according to environment ministry figures. Schools in the Sasakino district of Fukushima, where the attack took place, were closed and residents warned to be cautious. The incident has reignited a wave of panic, which last year led to the army being sent to the northern prefecture of Akita after more than 60 people were attacked, with four killed. The government has estimated the national bear population at around 57,800, and officials are considering systematic culling.

More from AP here.

Police in Kenya have arrested eight students on suspicion of arson after a fire at a girls’ boarding school killed 16 students and injured 79 others. The eight girls were arrested for allegedly planning and carrying out an arson attack on Utumishi Girls School in central Kenya, national police said. Education Minister Julius Ogamba said the school’s board had been dismissed and the principal would face disciplinary action over a failure to adhere to safety standards. Though a motive is not yet known, there have previously been several fires at Kenyan schools set by students protesting harsh discipline and poor conditions.

More from AP here.

Proximities now has a podcast. Cut very much from the cloth of the newsletter, I will be talking to the journalists who relentlessly cover the non-Western stories that deserve more attention from the international media. The first episode features Hiba Morgan, the Al Jazeera English correspondent in Sudan.

You can listen on Apple Podcasts here, on Spotify here, or watch on YouTube here.

I hope you’ll give it your support and like, subscribe, comment etc.!

Lebanon

An average of 11 children have been killed or wounded every 24 hours by Israeli attacks on Lebanon over the last week, the U.N. children’s agency has said, despite an ostensible ceasefire. A total of 77 ​children have been killed or injured in the last seven days, UNICEF said. “Under international humanitarian law, children and civilian infrastructure must be protected,” UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said. Israel has continued to attack southern Lebanon almost daily since agreeing to a ceasefire with the Hezbollah group on April 16.

More from Reuters here.

DR Congo

The head of the U.N.’s World Health Organization (WHO) has landed in Ebola-hit Democratic Republic of Congo and said the fast-spreading virus “can be stopped.” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, though, said fighting it will be “very complex.” Aid workers are battling to contain the outbreak of the rarer Bundibugyo strain against a background of conflict and distrust from local populations. The WHO said today that there have now been 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths. Tedros called for more international funding, saying that just a third of the required amount has been raised. “I came here to show that the communities in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu are not alone, and that we are here to support and we understand their pain,” he said.

More from Africa News here.

NB: Proximities has published a deep dive on the outbreak here.

I’m delighted to say that Proximities is launching a podcast and the first episode is now available. I couldn’t have asked for a better inaugural guest than Hiba Morgan, who is the Al Jazeera English correspondent in Sudan. Hiba spoke to me from Sudan’s capital Khartoum, where she has spent more than three years covering a civil war while also living through it as a Sudanese person.

You can listen to our conversation on Apple Podcasts here.

On Spotify here.

Or you can watch us talk on YouTube here.

Please like, subscribe, comment and rate! It’s a huge help.

Expect the podcast to be very much in the mold of the newsletter. I’ll be talking to the journalists who, like Hiba, relentlessly cover the non-Western stories that deserve more attention in the international media.

Next week, Ethiopia.

Until then,

Barry.

A plane carrying 300 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa by their government due to a growing number of xenophobic attacks on foreigners has landed in Ghana’s capital Accra. Ghana's government launched a voluntary repatriation plan for its citizens after weeks of violence and anti-immigrant protests and, with more than 800 Ghanaians registering for the scheme, more flights are expected in the coming days. Far-right groups in South Africa falsely blame immigrants, who mostly come from neighboring countries, for a faltering economy and high unemployment. Nigeria has also offered repatriation to its citizens.

More from Al Jazeera here.

NB: Proximities has published a deep dive on xenophobia in South Africa here.

Syria

Syria's transitional government has discovered the remnants of former President Bashar al-Assad’s secret chemical weapons program, according to a Reuters interview with a Syrian official. Mohamad Katoub, Syria's permanent representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, ⁠said that raw materials and munitions similar to those used to carry out chemical attacks during the country’s 14-year civil war were found. Eighteen people have been taken into custody for alleged involvement in the chemical weapons program, including high-level military, political and technical officials, ​he said. Current President Ahmed al-Sharaa came to power in December 2024 after a lightning offensive on the capital during which Assad fled to Russia.

More from Reuters here.

Mali

As Muslims around the world begin celebrating the Eid al-Adha festival, AP has carried an interesting report on soaring sheep prices in Mali’s capital Bamako putting the traditional practice of slaughtering an animal and sharing its meat with the poor beyond the reach of many this year. The reason for the inflation is an ongoing blockade of the city by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaida-linked rebel group applying increasing pressure to the government. Landlocked Mali depends on fuel and goods trucked in from neighboring countries and JNIM’s blockade strategy is adding to recent successes on the battlefield. The armed group operates in a porous and remote border area that allows it to launch attacks in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

More from AP here.

NB: Proximities has published a deep dive on the conflict in Mali and the Sahel here, and a deep dive on the recent wave of coups in West Africa here.

I was working as an editor at Al Jazeera’s headquarters back in 2014 when West Africa was gripped by the worst Ebola epidemic in world history.

I vividly remember the early reports coming in of an outbreak and then the creeping sense as the numbers ticked up faster and faster that this was going to be huge. I also remember that it didn’t hit the top headlines in the international media until, you guessed it, Westerners started to get infected.

This cartoon by André Carrilho summed it up more eloquently than I ever could.

When the epidemic came to an end, more than 11,000 people had died.

Now, as mentioned in Proximities several times recently, there is a fast-spreading outbreak of the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Making matters more complicated, this particular outbreak is of the rarer Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no approved vaccine.

According to officials, there have already been more than 900 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths, and the U.N.’s World Health Organization (WHO) has declared what it calls a “public health emergency of international concern.”

A Q&A with some more info below.

Bests,

Barry.

PS: Lots of new paid subscribers, so a reminder that there are over 30 deep dives here.

That sounds like a lot of cases in a short space of time?

It is. The outbreak was only officially declared on May 15 and it’s already the third-largest on record. The caveat, though, is that officials suspect it had been spreading for several weeks before it was detected.

That has also put them on the back foot when it comes to containment, because a big part of getting an outbreak under control is locking down the area where it started and ring-fencing local populations. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it is spreading faster than initially believed, outpacing efforts to contain it, and that responders are playing “catch-up.”

It has also started to spread into neighboring Uganda.

What are experts saying?

Essentially, they’re ringing the alarm and crying out for more resources. Both the WHO and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said this has the potential to get out of control, with the Africa CDC already identifying nine countries – Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia – it believes are at risk.

Today, the military governor of Ituri province, which is the epicenter of the outbreak, told French broadcaster RFI that the struggle to contain the virus was a “war” that they didn’t have the resources to fight. His use of the term war was very deliberate because that’s another factor: eastern DRC is a hotbed of insecurity, and has been for years, with several armed groups operating in Ituri.

“Our existing resources were dedicated to the war, and this second war that is now upon us demands even more," Johnny Luboya Nkashama said on RFI.

As outlined in this BBC report, Africa CDC director-general Dr. Jean Kaseya has said several countries in the region have agreed to fund a $319m budget to respond to the outbreak, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has also pledged an initial $5m to support that plan. Kaseya said countries outside the continent would also contribute and that a group of African businessmen were meeting later this week to see if they could raise funds.

But they need a lot of money, and they need it fast.

How can the spread be arrested?

Read more

A six-year-old Palestinian girl was among two people killed in an Israeli strike on a tent in which at least 17 people, including children, were also wounded, health officials said. The girl, Menna Abu Libda, was killed alongside ⁠31-year-old woman Hanan Mahmoud in the strike on an area for displaced people. Witnesses reported that the attack was carried out by two helicopters – the Israeli army said it had targeted combatants in the area but provided no further comment. In footage shared on social media, Menna’s father can be seen weeping over her dead body on the floor of a clinic. At least 900 people have been killed by Israeli attacks on Gaza since an ostensible ceasefire was agreed in October.

More from Reuters here.

Pakistan

The death toll from a suicide attack on a train carrying military personnel and their families in Pakistan has risen to at least 30, authorities said. The train was traveling through the city of Quetta when it was rammed by an explosives-packed car in an attack claimed by Balochistan separatist fighters. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has been fighting for independence for decades, arguing that local people are not given a fair share of the region’s abundant mineral resources. In March ​last year, the BLA attacked a train in the same area, taking hundreds of people hostage. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned yesterday's incident, calling it “cowardly act of terrorism.”

More from Sky News here.

Senegal

A political crisis in Senegal deepened when the speaker of parliament resigned two days after Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko was sacked by the president. The move capped months of public sniping between Sonko and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye amid a faltering economy and disagreements on policies such as the negotiation of a loan from the International Monetary Fund. Speaker El Malick Ndiaye said he had stepped down after "deep reflection" on "the sense of statehood." Sonko, hugely popular with Senegal’s youth, had been barred from running in a presidential election in 2024, so then ally Faye ran in his place and appointed him prime minister upon victory. The row now sets up the possibility of a face-off between the two at the next election in 2029.

More from BBC here.

The U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) has upgraded its assessment of the risk an outbreak of a rare Ebola strain poses to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to “very high.” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the risk of global spread remained low but a nationwide epidemic in DRC could occur. Tedros said 82 cases have now been confirmed, with seven confirmed deaths, though he said the outbreak is believed to be “much larger.” There have now been 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths. Unlike the more common Zaire strain, there is no proven vaccine for the Bundibugyo variety and, though two are in development, they could take nine months to be approved.

More from AP here.

Turkey

Turkish opposition leader Özgür Özel has vowed to fight a court ruling that has effectively removed him as leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP). "We are experiencing a dark day for Turkish democracy," Özel said, pledging to appeal the decision. Justice Minister Akin Gürlek said the ruling, which annulled the CHP party's 2023 congress, "reinforces our citizens' trust in democracy." Özel has spearheaded rallies against President Tayyip Erdogan since the arrest of Erdogan’s main political rival, Istanbul ​Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Opponents believe Erdogan is trying to extend his 23-year rule by clearing the field of rivals. The 72-year-old, though, has reached his term limit and can only run if an early election is called or if the constitution is amended by parliament.

More from Al Jazeera here.

Bangladesh

I’ll finish today with that all-too-rare thing for Proximities: a fun one. An albino buffalo has become a sensation in Bangladesh ahead of the Eid al-Adha festival because locals think it bears a strong resemblance to Donald Trump. Reuters reports that crowds are flocking to a farm where the buffalo was raised near the capital Dhaka, some from long distances, to pose for selfies. “My younger brother named ​the buffalo Donald Trump because the hair on the front of its head resembles Donald Trump,” farm owner Ziauddin Mridha said. “Despite its striking appearance, it is very calm by nature. It ​is an albino buffalo, and animals of this type are generally gentle ​and do not become aggressive unless provoked.”

Ta-da!

More from Reuters here.

A drone strike on a busy market in central Sudan has killed at least 28 people and wounded dozens more, a local rights group said, adding that the market in the town of Ghubaysh in West Kordofan province was targeted at a time when it would be crowded with civilians. The Emergency Lawyers group blamed Sudan’s military-led government, which has been locked in a war with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group for more than three years, for the attack. A military source told AP that no civilians were killed and said the drones hit two RSF combat vehicles near the market. Drone warfare has become the biggest threat to civilian life, with both sides reported to be receiving the aircraft from foreign allies, including the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.

More from AP here.

NB: Proximities has published deep dives on the war in Sudan here and here.

DR Congo

The U.N.’s World Health Organization (WHO) has said it could take up to nine months before a vaccine is approved for the strain of Ebola that has already killed a suspected 139 people in a fast-moving outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Two "candidate vaccines" against the rarer Bundibugyo variety of the virus are being developed but neither has gone through clinical trials, WHO advisor Dr Vasee Moorthy said. There have been 600 suspected cases, 51 confirmed in DRC and two confirmed in neighbouring Uganda. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the number of cases is expected to rise given that the outbreak likely began at least two months before it was discovered.

More from BBC here.

Pakistan

A court in Pakistan has sentenced a man to death for the murder of popular TikTok and Instagram influencer Sana Yousaf, who was shot dead at her home in a murder that sparked outrage across the country. Umar Hayat, 23, admitted that he had developed a one-sided obsession with 17-year-old Yousaf after interacting with her online. According to police, he broke into her house in Islamabad after she had rejected repeated advances and killed her. Yousaf had more than a million followers on TikTok and half a million on Instagram, where she shared content on fashion and music. In recent years, several women in Pakistan with social platforms have been killed in so-called honour killings. Yousaf's father Syed Yousaf Hassan said the verdict was "a lesson for all such criminals in society."

More from Al Jazeera here.

Deaths from a spiralling Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have reached 131, authorities said, as the U.N.’s World Health Organization (WHO), expressed alarm over the scale of the spread. There have been 543 suspected cases and 33 confirmed cases in DRC, according to officials, and two confirmed cases in neighbouring Uganda, where more than 100 people have been quarantined. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus a public health emergency of international concern. Unlike the more common Zaire strain, there are no approved virus-specific therapeutics or vaccines for the Bundibugyo variety.

More from Reuters here.

Syria

One soldier has been killed and at least 21 people wounded by a car bomb close to a defense ministry building in Syria’s capital Damascus. The ministry said in a statement that soldiers were in the process of defusing a separate improvised explosive device when the car exploded. Sporadic attacks have happened since longtime leader Bashar al-Assad was toppled by a lightning offensive in 2024 after more than 13 years of civil war. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has struggled to unite the country’s myriad factions since coming to power.

More from Al Jazeera here.

Gaza

Ireland’s President Catherine Connolly has said she is proud of her sister, who was among hundreds of activists snatched from boats in international waters by Israeli forces while taking part in an aid flotilla to Gaza. “I’m very worried about her, and I’m also very concerned about her colleagues on board,” Connolly said, adding the news was “quite upsetting.” Margaret Connolly, a doctor, was on one of 10 boats boarded by Israeli forces on Monday. By Tuesday evening, organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla said the entire fleet, which numbered more than 50 vessels, had been seized. “My heart goes out to President Connolly and her family, and indeed all of the families of those detained,” Irish Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) Simon Harris said. “What Israel has done is, in my view, illegal.”

More from the National here.